Inside CZ-USA’s 2017 New Product Catalog

It’s that time of the year again. The firearms industry gathering known as SHOT Show is around the proverbial corner. In the run-up to the gun biz Super Bowl, we’re fielding a constant stream of press releases, new product launch teasers, and 2017 product catalogs. As usual, TTAG will be carpet bombing the red carpet event: I’ll be joining RF, Dan, Nick, Tyler and Joe Grine in Las Vegas to blog the be-Jesus out of the Constitution-loving confab. Meanwhile, there’s CZ . . .

On Thanksgiving CZ announced its new P-10 C pistol, which they say is “improving on perfection.” Clearly that’s a reference to their own, excellent product line and not poking any competitive bears. Naturally. Click here to view or download a PDF copy of the CZ-USA and Dan Wesson 2017 New Product Guide, which includes all of the MSRPs and much more detail. TL;DR? Since you asked . . .

Seen above: the CZ BREN 2 (click on any photo to enlarge it). While the BREN 2 is a LE/Mil-only affair, it’s worth mentioning because it includes some evolutionary changes to the 805 BREN. It’s a lighter overall firearm than its forebearer with a non-reciprocating charging handle that works as a forward assist. CZ BREN 2 also boasts fully ambi controls including a bolt release inside the trigger guard.

The 805 BREN S1 is now available in pistol and carbine flavors, in 5.56 and, new for 2017, in 300 BLK. If black’s not your thing FDE lovers can get a BREN in that fine hue as well.

CZ’s offering the Scorpion Evo S1 pistol with a carbine forend and a 5″ KAK Flash Can mounted to the 7.7″ barrel (threaded in both 18×1 and 1/2×28). The Scorpion Evo S1 may look like an odd duck — okay, it is an odd duck — but it’s highly customizable. You can add a pistol stabilizing brace for SBR looks without the NFA hoops (no shouldering please!), or can pay your dues to go full SBR. Starting in this config saves time and money as compared to SBR’ing the standard pistol then swapping the forend, or SBR’ing the carbine then swapping for the shorter barrel. Either way, it’s ideal for running a suppressor underneath the carbine forend (which I reviewed here).

The P-10 C is CZ’s big release of 2017. It’s safe to say a lot of people will contemplate the P-10, channel their inner Laibach and declare “GLOCK is GLOCK.” But just as every auto manufacturer sells an SUV, there’s still plenty of room in this pistol category for a CZ “GLOCK.”

Make no mistake, the CZ P-10 C is unique in its own special way. We’re talking a fully ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release. The ergonomics, trigger, slide serrations, accessory rail, threaded barrels (cold hammer forged with standard land-and-groove rifling), and an aggressive MSRP set it apart from GLOCK’s Peach Tree pistol.

Upon breaking my CZ T&E loaner down, I was surprised to find extremely burly guts — likely the largest barrel lugs and frame lug I’ve seen in any similar gun. Not to mention big steel frame inserts and a fat metal bar for the slide stop. We’ll put the P-10 through its paces and report back.

CZ’s offering the P-09 in a suppressor-ready version with threaded barrel and tall night sights. It will now hit the shelves in slimming black along with the you-can-have-it-in-any-color-as-long-as-it’s-Urban-Gray predecessor. [ED: is Urban Grey some kind of slam against the English weather?] With the extended magazine bases, the P-09’s capacity is an astounding 21+1 rounds.

Last year CZ released a Kadet Kit for the P-07. This year they’ve expanded the line with a version for the P-09. It rocks the new target sights from the Shadow 2.

Poetically enough the SP-01 Phantom — effectively a polymer-framed SP-01 Tactical — is back from the dead. It arrives bearing improvements like a new polymer formulation and swappable backstraps. The product catalog points out that this is the current sidearm of the Czech Army.

It’s hard to beat a CZ Shadow for USPSA Production Division competition. According to CZ, the Shadow 2 does just that. The new gun sports a higher beavertail, undercut trigger guard, reduced-mass slide, more weight on the dust cover, swappable mag release with adjustable extension lengths, and new trigger components to improve pull and break while shortening reset. Rather than dressing-up in CZ’s normal polycoat, the Shadow 2 wears a nitrided finish. If bling’s your thing, its also available nitrided with black or Urban Gray polycoat applied on top, with black aluminum grips.

Dan Wesson’s new pistols will go up in a separate post, so for now we’ll stick with CZ and simply name the new long guns for 2017 (check the full catalog for details). A lot of new options here:

I trained my kids on .22 bolt action with a CZ 455 Scout. It’s a sweet little Chipmonk size rifle, and they had nary a problem handling it. It comes (or came) with a single shot feed tray in the magwell, but I got a 10 round mag for it when they moved up to repeater. Highly recommended!

It’s out of my reach, too, but it’s competing against similarly-priced guns like the SCAR and apparently beating them out. At least, every review I’ve seen seems to think it’s the bee’s knees and better than anything vaguely similar. I actually haven’t even held one myself! Hopefully I can fix that at some point.

Not to rain on CZ’s parade here but . . . I had a chance to handle (but not fire) the 805 in a store recently.

I liked it . . . a lot! Just the feel of it in hand felt “quality” if you get my drift. Felt really solid with nicely machined surfaces, fit / finish, etc. Nice and smooth action on the charging handle, etc. The stock looks atrocious but that can be remedied with an ARC stock (which is more money out of pocket). Still . . . I didn’t get it.

Also had a chance to do something similar with a Sig MCX. But I didn’t buy the MCX either.

What did I get?

Bushmaster ACR.

Waaaaah?

Yeah.

I get the hate piled on the rifle for it’s undelivered promises and overpriced introduction. But it has been on the market for 6+ years now. Nobody should be fooled by or hope for any modularity out of the system (it’s not coming). And prices have come down a lot (~$1600 for new or less for used). Honestly, if you look at it for what it is, it’s a damn fine .223/5.56mm AR-15 alternate in a more contemporary form factor that’s nearly identical to the Bren 805, SCAR 16, and Robinson XCR.

The ACR shoots nicely. Love the way it feels. Love it’s design (basic model, black). The fit and finish on it is great. Ergonomics are excellent. Piston drive gas system. Non-reciprocating charging handle. And a very very good telescoping side folding stock. And whooooo boy does it run clean compared to my AR or MPX. After the last range day I disassembled it for cleaning and the bolt and carrier didn’t look like it had been fired. Trigger is decent. Way better than my MPX, not as good as my “match grade” AR. Downside? It’s a bit heavier in the 8 lb. range.

If you want modularity and caliber conversion, go with the XCR. It’s probably the best rifle of the bunch. But have fun re-zeroing your sights after each caliber conversion. Oh, and take your chances Robinson will stand behind their guns . . . this time.

Otherwise, if you’re looking at the CZ805 or the SCAR 16, take a close look and compare to the ACR. I’d posit it’s a better bang-for-the-buck rifle with similar / better features and a lower price.

The time has come for the ACR to be re-evaluated for what it is, not for what it could have been.

Civilian version was already confirmed for the Czech market, so US will get them too. Given that the 805 suffered from extremely poor sales due to combination of bad initial reputation from Afghanistan (solved through minor design changes before the civilian variant hit the shelves) and price higher than local made top notch AR 15s, one can only hope that they will price civilian BREN 2 accordingly now.

I believe so. This catalog is listing only the new products being released in 2017. They’ll probably release the full 2017 catalog in the not-too-distant future and, yeah, it’s normal to see some things dropped from production. No idea what products, if any, that would be, though.

I mean, great on the rifle and all, but for real, why don’t people just make their rifles compatible with AR grips? There is a plethora of them on the market already, just make them adaptable. Even FN doesn’t make them adaptable, just strikingly similar.

Maybe because most buyers aren’t actually swapping grips for function reasons, but to match whatever the rest of the gun is? I know there’s minor feel differences, but they’re all so similar that apart from looks/color there’s not much call to swap them (well, I guess those PSG-1 knock-off ‘sniper’ grips are fairly different). Not compared to stocks, forearms, triggers, etc. The guns with integral grips are by definition going to have matching parts, so the swap is not as necessary, and allows the lower to be simpler/cheaper. Just my guess.